


Give It To Me Straight (Or Not)

by CrypticNitwit



Category: Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, LOOK. AT MY. BOYS, M/M, also pip is so SO oblivious. hes lucky herbert is so patient, but hey, let my boys kiss, there arent enough fics here wtf, well actually a little bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2019-01-18 19:38:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12394809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticNitwit/pseuds/CrypticNitwit
Summary: Pip suffers from some decidedly terrible nightmares, and Herbert has a couple questions and an offer.





	Give It To Me Straight (Or Not)

**Author's Note:**

> god forgive me and whatever dickensesque spirit got ahold of my writing brain. have fun

"My dearest Herbert, wake _up_!"

Pip had snuck into Herbert's room and was now standing at his bedside, grasping Herbert's shoulder and shaking it with more force than perhaps he should have used. Herbert startled awake, and upon Pip's letting go of his shoulder, sat up dazedly to greet him. "Handel, what has caused such alarm? I do hope it is not as early as it looks."

Pip smiled apologetically, standing in front of the bed. "No, my dear boy, I am afraid it is as early as it looks, and the alarm is slight, but I did feel the need to check on you, and so I am here." He glanced out of the window, as if anxious, though Herbert could not imagine what would make him so. "I have, as you know, had poor sleep the last few nights, yes?"

Herbert agreed.

"And this frequently leads to disturbances, of some sort of shouting, I'm afraid, from myself late at night?" In the dim room, the flickering candlelight cast frightful shadows over Pip, causing him to appear sunken and ill.

Herbert observed him closely and found his face to be quite normal, the only odd thing being that his cheeks were rather rosy, but most certainly not sunken. Herbert agreed with Pip again.

"I do hope these noises have not disturbed your sleep, my good friend." Pip clasped his hands in front of him.

Herbert could not help but yawn. "Hardly, Handel, although enough to raise concern for you, not enough to truly disturb me." He glanced out of the window as well, noting the sinking moon, its reflection rippling on the surface of the river, settling over London with a sort of ethereal glow.

"Well," started Pip. "Well," he started again, "I apologize, Herbert, but now I must disturb you, for the matter of a minor cause of alarm." He gazed at Herbert, apprehensive, waiting for a cue to go on.

"Handel, dearest, do get to the point. Or if you must spin your words in such complicated apologies, sit with me, and we shall discuss at length this alarm." Herbert patted the bed beside him, and Pip, with some hesitation, sat next to him. Herbert turned to face him, cross-legged. Pip turned towards Herbert as well, but avoided his gaze.

"Forgive me, Herbert, but you see, over the last few nights, I have been plagued by such terrible night terrors, the likes of which I have never experienced and of which I should hope to never see again. This much you know, as it has caused such disturbances from my room at the latest hours of night, but I have kept through and slept again, as have you, I see." Pip gestured to the wall connecting their rooms. "The terrors, however, have been of such terrible subject matter, and I am afraid that I can no longer ignore them." He looked up, meeting Herbert's gaze at last, and Herbert, with some measure of shock, realized Pip was shaking.

"My dear boy, are you quite alright?" Herbert exclaimed. He took Pip's hand and noted its shaking against his palm, although it shook less violently at his touch.

Pip squeezed Herbert's hand as though he would die if he were to let go. "My reason for alarm, Herbert, is these night terrors, particularly pertaining to you and such a terrible demise as you might meet while I go unawares. I have woken you to, although inconvenient, and again my apologies, check on you, and assure myself you have not met such a cruel demise at present." Pip laughed, but it was hollow, merely serving to hide how deeply his fear cut.

Herbert gazed at Pip in concern. "Well, Handel, my dear boy. I am fine, I swear it. I cannot imagine why you should have terrors about myself, but I am indeed fine." Despite these reassurances and much to Herbert's dismay, Pip continued to shake terribly.

"Thank you, Herbert, and again, my apologies. I will not disturb you again." Pip stood and exited Herbert's room, and Herbert waited for the creak of Pip's door, then his bed, before he allowed himself to sleep. 

 

A few hours later, as the moon sank below the horizon so that barely a sliver remained, Pip burst thunderously into Herbert's room. Herbert woke with a jolt, barely conscious enough to register anything but Pip's panicked voice.

"Herbert, dear God!" Pip's voice cracked. "Herbert," he cried, and then his voice was lost in a sea of his own choking sobs.

Herbert rose, grabbing Pip's arm so he would not fall over, his sobs wracked his frame so. "My dearest Handel, is it the night terrors?"

Pip did not respond, but instead clutched Herbert's arm for dear life. 

Taking this to mean his assumption was correct, Herbert guided Pip to sit on the bed with him in hopes of calming his nerves. "Handel, Handel, please be still - I have met no ill demise to-night," he said, trying his best to soothe. Though Pip seemed not to register his words, the sobs wracking his frame did quiet, but he was soon overtaken by a look of guilt. 

After taking a moment to calm himself, Pip began. "Herbert, my apologies as to this interruption," Pip said, stumbling over his words, "but I had to check. To make sure." He sniffed and wiped his eyes on his sleeve and patted his hair and generally - in vain - attempted to fix his countenance. "I know I did promise not to disturb you again, so I do offer my deepest apologies, but-"

"Oh Handel, do not worry. Your disturbance of my sleep troubles me not, be it what soothes you." Herbert leaned forward, taking hold of Pip's frantic hands and holding them on his lap. "And if it soothe you, or at least if it shall assure you I have not met such a cruel and miserable fate as your dreams would have you believe, I shall stay with you til morning."

Pip glanced out the window. "It shan't be long til then, I'm afraid, it's frightfully early." He sniffed, blinking away more tears. "Perhaps it would be best if I returned to bed." 

The look he gave Herbert bore such emotion that an acute ache settled in Herbert's heart. "If it is so early, then were it truly an inconvenience to me, my inconvenience should be lessened. And anyway it is not an inconvenience, so I ask you again to stay with me through morning." Herbert smiled gently at Pip, reaching up to wipe his cheek with his thumb.

Thusly reassured, Pip accepted Herbert's offer and his mothering, and Herbert smiled wider, drawing Pip briefly into his arms, then reclined in his bed, Pip following suit. For a long while, both Pip and Herbert remained as such on the bed, speaking quietly of nothing much until both were overtaken by exhaustion. 

 

By some stroke of luck, Pip's night terrors did not return that night, and he slept soundly through morning. When he woke, Herbert's back was pressed flush to his chest, their legs tangled together. At first, he thought nothing much of it, but when, in his sleep, Herbert settled back into him, he realized just how close they were and exactly how improper Herbert may perceive their position to be. With some reluctance, he removed himself from the bed.

He had gotten no further than the doorway before Herbert woke. Herbert called to him sleepily. "Handel, do come back."

Pip stopped in the doorway, looking back upon his friend. "I shan't. I fear I have already overstayed my most gracious welcome into your bed." 

"You need no welcome, my dearest, should you choose to sleep here any night." Herbert sat up and yawned, then pulled the quilt back, inviting Pip to join him again. "I'd much rather you here with me than elsewhere, especially if your night terrors might arise again."

Hesitant, Pip took a step towards Herbert, but paused again, brow furrowed. "Herbert-"

"It's far too early for your protests, Handel, and if you don't come back soon I fear I shall freeze." 

And Pip found himself sitting back under the quilt in Herbert's bed, surprising himself with his lack of resistance. There, Herbert leaned upon Pip's shoulder and laced his fingers clumsily through Pip's, sighing contentedly afterwards. "If I may ask," he began after a comfortable period of contemplation, "what fate befell me in your dream?"

"I'm not disappointed to say I have no recollection of my dream," Pip confessed, "and thus cannot rightly tell you. And may I ask why you ask such a question?"

Herbert hummed. "Idle curiosity, I'm afraid," he mumbled, pressing closer to Pip's side.

Pip stared at their intertwined hands. "Herbert, are you rather tired this morning?"

"Tired, perhaps, but I'm feeling wonderfully for having you here upon my awakening. And you?"

"As well as is to be expected, given the events of this past night." He thought for a moment. As he prepared to speak again, Herbert disengaged himself from Pip, the loss of his body against his silencing him once again. 

It was not long lasting, however, as Herbert rather immediately pulled Pip down to lie with him. He flashed Pip a wide, tired smile, then curled into his chest. 

Pip stiffened. This seemed not quite proper behavior, not quite an activity gentlemen should be engaging in. He pulled back, placing a firm grip on Herbert's shoulders. "Herbert, are you feeling alright?"

"Of course."

Pip considered this. "I fear, my dear Herbert, that you are not quite thinking straight."

Herbert laughed, a pleasing sound. "Dearest Handel, I fear that I _am_ not quite straight."

Pip frowned in concern, propping himself up on an elbow and looking Herbert up and down. "Should a doctor be called?"

"No, Handel, no, tis unnecessary," Herbert assured him, still smiling. He sat up, though, and Pip again followed his movements, though he remained some distance further than before. A long stretch of not quite comfortable silence followed. Pip considered the brightening sky but missed Herbert's considering him.

Herbert, finally catching Pip's eye, sighed and sat up straighter, and all of a sudden he seemed very much more awake than before. "Handel, if I were to ask you a question, would you answer it truthfully?"

Without hesitation, Pip agreed. 

"Were I to ask you to kiss me, would you be terribly opposed?"

Pip hesitated. "I think I wouldn't know until I was asked such a question," he said slowly, quietly, as if afraid of his own answer.

"Then, my dearest Handel, I am asking you just that."

Pip hesitated again. "I believe my answer would be yes," he said, voice fading.

And before Pip could prepare himself, Herbert was following through on his request, pressing his lips against Pip's own. He sat back after a moment and looked expectantly at Pip, though his eyes were widened with fear. 

Pip, hardly able to stand Herbert's fearful look, leaned forward in turn and joined their lips again. He felt Herbert smile against his mouth, and Pip was engulfed in such a warm feeling in his chest that it felt as though he was being thrust into a fireplace. 

When they finally separated, Pip had turned a vibrant crimson red, and Herbert was smiling at him with a light in his eye as Pip had never seen. "Herbert," Pip mumbled, somewhat dazed, "if you have any more such questions, do ask them directly."

Herbert took Pip's hands in his own. "If you are so eager to hear them, then I shall ask two more. The first is if you should like to have breakfast, which I am inclined to believe you will answer with agreement; my second question is if you should like to sleep here again to-night."

Though Pip again was concerned as to invading Herbert's privacy, the look of bliss upon Herbert's face led him to believe that no such concern could be justified. He agreed happily, and Herbert leaned towards him and embraced him as tightly as their position could allow, and then stood, already talking of eggs and coffee and the like. 

Pip looked at him fondly, and not so much as bothering to dress, both headed to the kitchen to eat. Privately, Pip looked forward to another sound night of sleep in his dearest Herbert's arms, and privately, Herbert knew himself to be the luckiest man in all of England to have won his dearest Handel's favor.


End file.
